Abstract
A 57-year-old woman was referred to the hospital for close examinations of a calcified lesion under the left diaphragma noted on an abdominal X-ray film. Ultrasonography, abdominal CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a calacified cystic tumor of the spleen, and an operation was performed. The left hand of the operator was inserted into the peritoneal cavity through a lap disc®, and a hand assisted laparoscopic splenectomy was performed. The resected specimen was a cystic mass of the spleen, measuring 5.5cm in diameter with a severely calcified wall. Histopathologically the cystic wall was not covered with epithelium, and the diagnosis was a false cyst of the spleen. Our experience suggests that the hand assisted laparoscopic splenectomy is a safe and less invasive surgical procedure, and is a prefered choice of therapy for splenic tumors.
